


Monopoly

by WonderPickle



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Competition, F/M, Fun, Fun and Games, and benlie, bits of romance, competitive gwen, competitive julie, friends - Freeform, mostly fun with friends, posting old work, some gwevin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2019-01-08 19:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12260745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderPickle/pseuds/WonderPickle
Summary: Kevin, Gwen, Ben and Julie play Monopoly on a rainy day. With their combined competitiveness, tempers, and tendency to poke fun at one another, it's one interesting game night.One-shot.





	Monopoly

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own Monopoly.

Julie glanced at the window again and sighed. The raindrops were heavily bouncing off the glass panes, blurring the views of the outside world. "I can't believe it rained the  _ minute _ we were going out for our mini golf game," she complained.   


Ben shrugged. "You can’t fight the weather," he replied, popping several chips into his mouth.   


Gwen gave him the evil eye before focusing her gaze upon her friend. "We'll just reschedule," she promised sincerely.   


Kevin leaned back into his chair, interweaving his arms across his chest in the process. "What are we gonna do in the meantime? Not like we can go outside, and there's no nearby aliens that we can pound.”

“We  _ could _ watch Sumo Slammers,” Ben suggested in a sing song tone, waving the remote in front of the group.

Gwen rolled her green orbs. “I'll pass.”

“Same here, I don't need to watch your dumb show,” Kevin mumbled, closing his eyes and pressing his body farther into his chair. He tucked his elbows behind his head, resting softly against them. 

“Are you  _ napping _ ?” Gwen questioned, half dumbfounded half annoyed.

Kevin responded without raising his eyelids. “Maybe.”

“We should just wait out the rain,” Julie piped up, glancing around the room with wide eyes.

Ben scoffed. “Yeah right. At this rate, it'll never stop pouring.”

“You don't know that for sure,” the tennis player pointed out.

“Oh come on, Julie, it's just a game. We'll just do it some other time."

She paused. “ _ Just a game _ ?” 

“Yeah,” Ben replied with a mere shrug, munching on another handful of chips. 

Julie pouted at him, preparing to launch herself into a stream of further verbal attacks, when Gwen held her hand up. “How about we play a board game, and if the rain clears up by the time we’re done, we can go?” 

“I'd rather just watch Sumo Slammers!” Ben whined. 

The Anodite glared. “ _ Ben _ .”

The Tennyson cousins had a silent, short staring competition before Ben gave in. “Fine, we can play a dumb board game.”

“Great,” Kevin grumbled under his breath.

Gwen, once again, rolled her eyes. “Oh, put a sock in it.” 

Her boyfriend scoffed.

“What game should we play?” Julie asked, obviously eager about still doing something competitive. 

“The let’s let Kevin sleep game,” Kevin mumbled, closing his eyelids once more.

Gwen leaned over towards him, planting her elbow in his rib cage.

“Ow! Jeez, Gwen!” he yelped, pupils suddenly becoming visible.

She smirked satisfactorily. “You were saying?” 

“Oh! How about Monopoly?” Julie exclaimed. 

“I’m up for that,” Gwen replied with a shrug.

“Great! I'll go get it!” Julie responded, bounding out of the room before another word could be uttered from any of them.

But the trio didn't sit in silence for long. Almost immediately after Julie departed, Kevin spoke up. “Dude, tell your girlfriend to chill.”

“I can't  _ help _ that she's  _ competitive _ !” Ben countered, putting his snack off to the side.

“Let her go,” Gwen stated, “she's a professional tennis player, she's  _ naturally _ competitive.”

“Whatever,” griped Kevin, “I'm still going to kick her butt in Monopoly.”

Gwen scoffed. “Since when have you been good at Monopoly?” 

“Since forever.”

Furrowing her eyebrows, she frowned. “Why have you never played with me before?” 

Kevin shrugged loosely. “You're uh... _ not _ so fun to play with.”

“ _ Not so fun to play with _ ?” Gwen repeated, obviously a bit flabbergasted. 

“Yeah, you get  _ way _ too into the game,” he replied with a slight disregard for what was coming out of his mouth.

As he took notice of his cousin fuming, Ben commented, “You  _ might _ wanna watch what you're saying there, Kev.” 

Kevin shrugged whilst Julie returned with the game in her hand. The trio slipped off their chairs and onto their knees, gathering around the center table as Julie placed the box in the middle. She began dismantling the previously organized pieces, assigning the different cards to their correct places. 

“I'll be the money bag!” Ben called before anyone else could, snatching the item out of the box and dropping it onto the  _ Go _ space. 

“Alright then,” Kevin replied, “I'll be the car.” 

“I'm the dog!” Julie claimed excitedly.

After the three other pieces had been positioned onto the board, Gwen glanced at what was left in the box. “I guess I'll be the thimble,” she told them, picking up the small cylinder between her fingers and placing it on the starting square. 

Julie finished dealing out the money, proceeding to hand the box containing the rest of it to Gwen. “You should be the banker,” she stated, “I don't trust Ben and Kevin not to cheat.”

“ _ Hey _ !” the males shouted in unison.

Gwen smiled, an amused understanding gleaming in her emerald orbs. “I've got it covered.”

Julie took it upon herself to be in charge of the properties, spreading them out far enough away from her money collection but close enough so she could reach it when she needed to.

“Roll to see who goes first?” the tennis player asked suggestively, holding the dice up in her hands.

They all uttered some sort of agreement as she shook her hand and the small cubes rolled across the board.    


"4! Ugh!" she exclaimed, grunting as she crossed her arms and pouted.   


"My turn," Ben said, following what his girlfriend had done before him, "Woohoo! Nine!" he beamed, pumping his fist in the air.   


Julie tightened her arms even further and groaned off to the side.    


Kevin went third, picking up the dice and rolling. He chuckled. "Hahaha! I got a ten. Wouldn't wanna be you, Tennyson."   


Gwen reached for the items out of her boyfriend's hand. “Pfft,” she muttered, “ _ boys _ .” Very nonchalantly, she tossed her arm forward and the dice jumped out of her palm. 

Ben and Kevin stared at the game board with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

“Double sixes?!” Ben exclaimed. 

Gwen smirked. “You were saying?” 

“This is rigged,” Kevin mumbled, scoffing at his girlfriend. 

“We've barely even started!” she retorted, about to begin the game with the first roll.

“See, this is exactly why I don't like playing with you,” griped Kevin. 

“You've never even played with me! How would you  _ know _ that you don't like it?” Gwen protested.

“Because it's  _ rigged _ !” he claimed.

“It is not rigged! Kevin,  _ I just rolled the dice _ ,” the redhead counterattacked.

“Gwen-”

Ben sighed obnoxiously, interrupting their argument. “Please  _ get a room _ !” he cried.

Kevin frowned. “Whatever. Gwen, it’s your turn. Roll.” 

She did as was asked, or, rather,  _ commanded _ , of her, tossing the game pieces across the board. She landed a three and a two, plopping the thimble on the first railroad. She grinned as she exchanged two 100’s in the bank for the  _ Reading Railroad _ property. 

“ _ This _ is gonna be a long game,” Kevin whispered to Ben.

“You said it,” he muttered in return.

Gwen gave them an especially dirty glare. “Done yet? You’re wasting time.”

Ben rolled his eyes in the direction of the window, glancing at the ongoing heavy rain. “...We kinda have all the time in the world, Gwen.” He paused, rethinking his statement. “Well,  _ actually _ , my curfew is in two hours...so…”

“You’re already gettin’  _ way _ too into this, Gwen,” Kevin mumbled as his best friend’s voice faltered.

She narrowed her eyes, not responding verbally to his comment. “You’re  _ up _ ,” she informed him in an irritated tone, chucking the dice at his hand. 

Barely managing to catch them, he did what he was supposed to, and of course, failed to compete with Gwen’s current progress. Just coming in two spaces short of getting both ahead of her and gaining a property, he landed on  _ Income Tax _ . “ _ Agh _ ,” he complained with a growl, shoving the money towards his girlfriend, “ _ Rigged _ .”

“This is  _ not _ -”

Ben groaned, sticking out his palm. “I am  _ not _ listening to the same argument again. Give me the stupid dice.”

“Lighten up, Ben,” Julie said. Her eyes flicked between the changeling and the game itself, a hint of annoyance towards him and eagerness to play evident in them.

He pouted, but nonetheless still obeyed. The small cubes granted him an eight, causing his frown to disappear, and his face to instantly beam. “Hey! I got a property!”

Julie smiled, handing him the card before taking her turn. She got a nine, which also permitted her to buy a light blue space. With her face maske in pride, she gave her money to Gwen to be put in the bank.

Kevin threw his head backwards, moaning. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Gwen patted his chest lightly, no pure sympathy detectable in her tone. Only a mocking demeanor slightly obscured by her falsely kind words. “There there. It’s only the beginning of the game.”

He narrowed his eyes as she went. But rolled them after watching her gain a pink property. 

A smile immediately appearing on her face, she dropped the small cubes into his grip. “You’re up.”

Kevin gave her a sideways glare. He did complete his task, but it only allowed for another unfortunate outcome. “Great. Now I’m in jail.”

Ben snorted, clearly more intrigued in the game after having a successful first roll. “Why am I not surprised?”

The Osmosian clenched his jaw. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut it, Tennyson.”

“I’m not sure, Kev,” Ben replied with a shrug, “Your girlfriend is  _ totally _ kicking your butt. I don’t think you have much to threaten me with here.”

“Don’t get started with me Tennyson.”

He snickered. “So much for being good at this game.”

Kevin threw the dice at his chest. “Just go.”

The changeling winced. “Ow! That  _ hurt _ !”

“It was supposed to.”

“Would you two cut it out?” Gwen questioned, irritated, “You’re ruining game night.”

“ _ Relax _ , Gwen,” Ben told her, “It’s only the  _ second _ round.” He rolled, moving his money bag along to land on the  _ Community Chest _ space. Grinning, he eagerly picked the top card from the pile and read it aloud. But his glee vanished when realizing what he had to do. “ _ Pay 50 dollars _ ?  _ What _ ? That’s ridiculous!”   


Gwen chortled at his rapid mood shift. “ _ It’s only the second round _ ,” she mocked her cousin.

Julie giggled into her hand. When her boyfriend shot her an annoyed look, she smiled innocently and stole the dice off the center of the board. She landed on the  _ Pennsylvania Railroad _ , and instantly gave her money to the bank in exchange for the property card. With a grin, she passed the numbered cubes to her friend. “Here you go, Gwen. Your turn.”

“Thanks, Julie.” Shaking her hand, the dice plummeted to the surface of the board. Gwen dropped her piece on the same  _ Community Chest _ space Ben was positioned on, following his actions in reading the top card. “You have won second prize in a beauty contest. Collect 10 dollars.” Grabbing the bills out from the bank, she remarked, “Look, Kevin. I got second place in a beauty contest.”   


“ _ Congratulations _ ,” he replied sarcastically.

* * *

Gwen smirked devilishly as she added yet another installment to her collection of buildings rapidly surfacing across the board.    


Julie and Ben gaped at her. “How?” her cousin sputtered, wide eyed.

The tennis player clenched her jaw. “This is just unfair. How did  _ you _ manage to buy all the  _ good _ properties?”

Kevin, semi-conscious on the couch, mumbled, “ _ Rigged _ .” 

“You’re not even happy that I’m  _ winning _ , Kevin?”   


He didn’t look up from under the arm draped across his eyes. “I quit for a  _ reason _ , Gwen.”

“Hey, at least _ I  _ can  _ admit _ my girlfriend beat me fair and square, Kev,” Ben noted, wrapping an arm around Julie’s shoulders.

The Osmosian groaned, shifting in his half state of slumber. “Ugh, whatever. Just end it already.”

“Oh, I  _ plan _ to,” Julie replied, eyesight focused on the hotels lining the board.

Ben yawned. “Do you think we can call it a game, Julie? It’s almost my curfew.” 

“ _ Not yet _ ,” she said, peering strategically at her opponent’s properties.

In turn, Gwen rolled, and, much to her joy and Julie’s dismay, avoided the tennis player’s set of properties along the reds, landing on her own railroad at the end.

Julie inhaled a deep breath as she regained the dice. If she managed to get past Gwen’s blue hotels, she’d attain two hundred dollars from  _ Go _ , and be in the clear for a few possessions. Cradling the cubes in her palm, she rotated towards the changeling. “Wish me luck.”

He kissed the side of her head, despite claiming a desire to depart moments ago. “Good luck.”

“Thanks  _ a lot _ , Ben,” Gwen murmured, her low tone thick with sarcasm. 

“Hey!” he said defensively, “Don’t blame  _ me _ ! It’s not  _ my _ fault  _ your _ boyfriend can’t handle defeat like a  _ man _ and decided to take a nap on the couch!”   


Frowning at the Osmosian, she immediately shook her head. “Nevermind. Just roll.”

Julie did so, squeezing her eyes shut as the dice dropped onto the game board surface. “Did I pass it?” she asked without lifting her lids.

Ben was hesitant to reply, but Gwen’s excited gasp instantly revealed the outcome. “ _ Yes _ !”

The tennis player opened her eyes, jaw dropping at the sight before her. Out of  _ all _ the rolls she could’ve gotten, the only one she  _ didn’t _ want, was the  _ one  _ that appeared. She had to cough up all her remaining money to the redhead. Which meant she lost. “No!”

Ben’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Julie,” he told her, but she didn’t seem to hear.

“Kevin!” Gwen exclaimed, jumping to her feet, “Wake up! I won!”   


For a second, he didn’t move. Then he snored a bit, and quickly jolted off the couch. He blinked, processing what his girlfriend had said to him. “That’s great, Gwen. Can we go home now?”

Julie grunted. 

Gwen glanced at the Osmosian, puckering her lips somewhat playfully. “Victory kiss?”

“Yeah right.”

She rolled her eyes, but instead of arguing, she dropped down on her knees to clean up their activity. Ben did the same, and, eventually, a reluctant tennis player assisted as well. 

With the three of them completing the task, and Kevin halting his complaints momentarily, the procedure went by quickly.

After everything had been neatly put away, Gwen held out her hand. “Good game, Julie.”

The dark haired girl stared at the outstretched grip, pouted, but shook it nonetheless.

Although she grumbled something that sounded like a goodbye, she stormed off before any of the trio could think too much about it.

“I’m gonna go check on her…” Ben began slowly, “She hates to lose almost as much as I do.” 

Spinning on his heel, he turned, and exited through the path his girlfriend had just used.

“Come on,” Kevin said, starting to walk out the other door, “I’ll drive you home.”

“So, a drive home, but no kiss?” Gwen asked. Quirking an eyebrow, she intertwined her arms over her chest.

He sighed, slumping his shoulders slightly. Stepping towards her, he softly rested a hand on her cheek before planting a tender kiss against her lips. Momentarily, they stayed frozen, her arms still crossed and his other hand at his side, but then he pulled away. 

“Okay?” Kevin asked, retreating a step back towards the exit.

Gwen ran her tongue over her lips thoughtfully. “Good victory kiss. But I’m still mad at you for quitting.”

Throwing his head back, he sighed. “Whatever. It’s been a long night, let’s just  _ go home _ .”


End file.
